Portable hand buffer



Jan. 23, 1940.

G. W. YERKEY PORTABLE HAND BUFFER Filed Dec. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor A tiorneys Jan. 23, 1940. G. 'w.- YERKEY 2,188,126

PORTABLE HAND BUFFER I Filed Dec. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venior A ttorn eys Patented Jan. 23, 1940 PATENT. OFFICE PORTABLE HAND BUFFER Grover W. Yerkey. Huntington, W. Va., assignor of twenty per cent W. Va.

to Ed. Ball, Burnsville,

Application December 6, 1938, Serial No. 244,280

5 Claims.

This invention relates to buffers for dressing or finishing surfaces, such as walls preparatory to papering or painting and for any other purpose wherein a device of this kind may be em ployed. v

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a power driven portable device which is extremely simple and compact in construction and easy to handle and which will permit of the buffing element thereof to be brought against a surface to be finished with variable pressure.

Another object of this invention is the provision of the buffer element so constructed as to permit easy and quick replacing of the abrasive material when needed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference isto be had :to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation illustrating a power driven portable hand buffer constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a. top plan view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device and the driving connection between the electric motor and the buffer element also showing an adjusting means for varying the pressure of the buffer element against a surface to be finished.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a frame consisting of a top plate 6 which gradually tapers toward one end and side plates 1 that act as runners for the frame on a surface to be finished or polished. The side plates 1 conform to the taper of the top plate which renders the frame 5 easy and convenient to handle. Fasteners 8 are secured to opposite sides of the top wall 6 and extend through arcuately curved slots 9 in the side plates and also the side plates are pivotally connected to the top plate, as shown at In. The connections between. the side plates which act as runners and the top plate permit the top plate to move relative to the runners or side plates when the latter are bearing against a. surface.

The top plate is equipped with a suitable handie or hand grip l I, whereby the operator grasping the handle may bring the runners intoengagement with a surface and by pressing downwardly on the handle the top plate will be caused to move toward said surface. V

,Located under the top wall and between the side plates is a buffer element 12 consisting of a sectional telescopic member 13, the sections being indicated by the characters A and B. The section A includes a cylindrical portion and an end wall M while the section B includes a cylindrical portion and an end wall l5 projecting beyond its cylindrical portion to form a marginal flange lying in the same plane with the end wall l5 to provide maximum bearing surface for the buffer element against a surface. apertured and offset, as shown at It, to receive a fastener I! positioning the head thereof inwardly of the outer surface of the end wall I5 and is employed for securing on said end wall a sheet of abrasive material l8. The offset It in the wall l5 permits positioning of the head ofthe fastener so: as not to contact the surface being acted on by the abrasive material l8 and which will permit the abrasive material to be easily removed when necessary or when'desiring to replace the same with another or like sheet of abrasive material. a

The end wall M of the section A has secured centrally thereof a fastener I9 which extends through a bearing 20 in the top Wall 6 and centrally through a gear 2! located in a recess 22 formed in the top face of the top plate. The fastener l9 provides a driving connection between the gear and the bufii-ng element l2. Meshing with the gear 2| is a pinion 23 secured to the shaft 24 of an electric motor 25 mounted on a bracket 26 forming a part of the handle II. It is to be understood that the electric motor may be connected by an extension cord (not shown) to an electric output and when in ope-ration will rotate the buffing element.

A cross member 26' is secured to the side plates and forms a seat for a coil spring 21 mounted on an adjusting bolt 28 and bearing against the top plate 6. The adjusting bolt 28 is threaded in the top plate. The purpose of the spring 21 is to urge the top plate away from the surface which is being acted on and the set screw 28 regulates the movement of the top wall toward the surface by the pressure placed on the handle by the operator. It will be seen that the set screw 28 will come in contact with the cross member 26' after a certain movement of the top wall toward the surface to be acted on, consequently limiting the The end wall l5'is* movement of the buffing element toward the surface. By adjusting the set screw the amount of movement of the top plate toward the surface may be varied. Normally when no pressure is applied to the handle II the spring 21 positions the buifing element inwardly of the runners or lower edges of the side plates so as not to contact the surface when the runners or side plates are placed thereon or against until such time that the operator places pressure on the handle moving the top plate toward the surface.

The sections A and B of the bufiing element having telescopic relation will permit the section B to be easily removed from the section A whenever desired and in order to establish a driving connection between the sections A and B one of said sections is provided with grooves to receive ribs formed on the other section. The grooves and ribs will in no way interfere with the separation of the sections.

It is believed that the foreging description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such device relates so that further detailed description will not be required.

What I claim is:

1. A hand bufling device comprising a frame including a top plate and spaced parallel runners pivotally connected to each other, a rotatable bufiing element journaled on said frame between said runners, spring means bearing on said top plate and runners for normally maintaining the bufiing element inwardly of the bearing edges of the runners, and power means mounted on the frame and connected with the buffing element.

2. A portable power operated hand bufiing device comprising a top plate, side plates pivotally and slidably connected to the top plate and providing runners, a rotatable bufiing element journaled on the top plate and located between the runners, an electric motor supported on the top plate, gearing connecting the motor to the buffing element, and spring means normally positioning the bufling element inwardly of the bearing edges of the runners and capable of permitting the bufling element to be manually moved beyond the edges of said runners to engage with the surface.

3. A portable power operated hand bufiing device comprising a top plate, side plates pivotally and slidably connected to the top plate and providing runners, a rotatable bufling element journaled on the top plate and located between the runners, an electric motor supported on the top plate, gearing connecting the motor to the bufl'lng element, spring means normally positioning the buffing element inwardly of the bearing edges of the runners and capable of permitting the buffing element to be manually moved beyond the edges of said runners to engage with the surface, and a handle secured on the top plate to permit a person to move the runners over the surface and to move the top plate in the direction of the surface.

4. A portable power driven hand bufiing device comprising a top plate, side plates providing runners pivotally and slidably connected to pposite sides of the top plate, a rotatable buffing element journaled on the top plate between the side plates, power means carried by the top plate, gearing connectingthe power means to the buffing element, a handle connected to the top plate to permit a person to move the top plate toward the surface on which the runners engage to bring the bufiing element in engagement with said surface, and an adjustable spring means acting between the runners and top plate to normally urge the top plate in a position to disengage the buffing element from the surface.

5'. A portable power driven hand bufllng device comprising a top plate, side plates providing runners pivotally and slidably connected to opposite sides of the top plate, a rotatable buffing element journaled on the top plate between the side plates, power means carried by the top plate, gearing connecting the power means to the buffing element, a handle connected to the top plate to permit a person to move the top plate toward the surface on which the runners engage to bring the buffing element in engagement with said surface, and a combined adjustable stop and spring means connected to said top plate and runners and normally acting to move the top plate away from the surface engaged by the runners and capable of adjustment for varying the distance of movement of the top plate toward said surface.

GROVER W. YERKEY. 

